University of California Press enters open access space

University of California Press is entering the open access space with the launch of two new products: a mega journal focused on three core disciplines (life and biomedical sciences, ecology and environmental science, and social and behavioral sciences) and a monograph program designed to take advantage of rich, digital formats.

This move is part of University of California Press’s stated mission to bring progressive scholarship forward in ways that continue to meet the academic community’s needs for greater discoverability, accessibility, and audience reach. Rollout for both products is planned for 2015.

'We’ve long known that open access would be a part of our future, but wanted to consider all aspects of how we delivered on its promise,' said Alison Mudditt, director of University of California Press.

'We spent a lot of time during our strategic planning phase involving the academic community we serve – researchers, faculty, and librarians – and hearing their ideas on what we anticipate will be seen as different and innovative approaches.'